NBA News Roundup: Kyrie Irving opts into his $36.5 million deal with Brooklyn next season; Draymond Green reveals biggest shot in NBA Finals, and more | June 28, 2022
The Kyrie Irving situation in Brooklyn has been the hottest topic in the NBA offseason. He was given permission to seek possible sign-and-trade scenarios but opted to exercise his player option for next season. He's set to earn around $36.5 million in the final year of his Nets deal.
Meanwhile, Draymond Green has also been grabbing headlines after the Golden State Warriors won their fourth title in eight years. Green recently revealed the biggest shot of the 2022 Finals, one that did not involve his teammate Steph Curry.
On that note, here's the latest NBA news roundup for June 28 brought to you by Sportskeeda:
Bulls hope Zach LaVine will stay in Chicago
Zach LaVine is one of the biggest names in this year's NBA free agent class. He's set to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career. However, the Chicago Bulls are hoping he re-signs and help further the team's success.
Bulls executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas said in a news conference (h/t NBA.com) the team is willing to sign LaVine on a max deal. The two-time All-Star will earn around $212 million if he stays in Chicago. However, if decides to sign to another team, he could only sign a four-year, $157 million contract.
"I'm confident," Karnisovas said. "I'm confident in approaching this free agency the next couple days, sitting down with our group, looking at a lot of things. I think he's gonna be healthy. I think he's now progressing great."
"We hope that Zach LaVine is here for a long time" - AK https://t.co/o4XJjpdpkp
LaVine had several procedures done on his left knee last season, including platelet-rich plasma therapy and cortisone shots. He eventually had arthroscopic surgery last month after the Bulls' season ended against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Kyrie Irving exercises player option, expected to play for Nets next season
Kyrie Irving announced through The Athletic on Monday that he's opting into his $36.5 million deal with the Brooklyn Nets next season. With NBA free agency set to begin on Thursday, the Nets now have a lot less problems. Irving and his camp tried to look for a sign-and-trade deal, but only the LA Lakers showed interest.
Kyrie Irving: “Normal people keep the world going, but those who dare to be different lead us into tomorrow. I’ve made my decision to opt in. See you in the fall. A11even.” twitter.com/ShamsCharania/…
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Nets were not interested in what the Lakers could offer. Irving is now ineligible to be traded via sign-and-trade, but the Nets could still explore the possibility later in the season. The one-time champion has until June 30 to sign an extension.
The Nets can now move forward and possibly salvage the Irving situation for next season. They still have Irving, Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons. However, they need to make some decisions about their roster. Brooklyn has several key free agents this summer, like Bruce Brown, Andre Drummond, Nic Claxton, Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge.
John Wall agrees buyout with Rockets, intends to join Clippers
John Wall and the Houston Rockets have reportedly agreed a buyout, as per Yahoo! Sports. Wall's representatives and and Rockets general manager Rafael Stone are set to meet on Tuesday to finalize the buyout. Wall is expected to return around $7 million of his $47.4 million salary for next season.
Five-time NBA All-Star John Wall will secure a buyout with the Houston Rockets and become an unrestricted free agent, league sources tell @YahooSports.
Once the buyout is finalized, Wall would join Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the LA Clippers. The five-time All-Star played just 40 games for the Rockets after their mutual decision to let him sit out last season. Despite his injury history, Wall was fully healthy as the Rockets ended the season with the worst record in the NBA (20-62).
Wall is a former No. 1 overall pick by the Washington Wizards. He spent the first 10 years of his NBA career in Washington before getting acquired by the Rockets in 2020. With the Clippers, Wall has a chance to revive his career as their possible starting point guard.
Draymond Green reveals the biggest shot in 2022 NBA Finals
Draymond Green is having a great offseason following the Golden State Warriors' NBA Finals triumph. Green was hammered during the team's victory parade, and his podcast is growing.
On an episode of "The Draymond Green Show," Green revealed the biggest shot of the Finals.
The four-time champion had a surprising answer, as the shot was not by Steph Curry. Green noted that it was Jordan Poole's buzzer-beating shot at the end of the third quarter in Game 5. He pointed out that Poole's shot changed the momentum of the game, as the Boston Celtics were making a run at the time.
"The biggest shot of the series was Jordan Poole's shot before the end of quarter number three in Game 5, where he banked the three in," Green said. "Why was that the biggest shot of the series? The reason that was the biggest shot of the series was because they had fought back in the third quarter, while we had dominated third quarters."
He continued:
"They fought back in that third quarter, and when they fought back, they had taken the lead, and Jordan had the shot, and we went up one going into the fourth quarter."
JP DID IT AGAIN 🚨
https://t.co/elZ9r2CXrf
Mavs assistant GM Keith Grant retires after 42 years with team
Keith Grant was one of the first employees of the Dallas Mavericks when they became an NBA franchise, as per Mavs.com. After 42 years, Grant retired as the team's assistant general manager. He had started as the Mavericks' equipment manager and administrative assistant.
The 64-year-old worked his way up the organization and eventually became a scout and later the director of scouting. He was also named vice president of basketball operations before becoming the assistant general manager in 1998. He held the position for 24 years.
Thank you to Assistant General Manager Keith Grant for 42 incredible seasons.
Maverick for life. #MFFL https://t.co/KqnLl6wh0c
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban had nothing but praise for the team's longest-tenured employee.
"Keith Grant is an NBA legend with a heart of gold," Cuban said. "He did so much for the Mavs, and he made our organization and our community better. I can't express enough appreciation for everything that KG has done for this franchise."